July 23, 2012

The round of thunderstorms yesterday and today brought some much-needed moisture to the areaâ and a few lightning strikes that set off some small fires.

So far, none of the strikes have resulted in fires that are threatening life or property in the Eastern Sierra.
Nancy Upham, the public information specialist with the Inyo National Forest, said the rain helped keep the fires that did start from spreading, and that crews have been working or monitoring all the fires.

July 20, 2012

June Lake community members met with both Mammoth Mountain Ski Area CEO/June Mountain Ski Area owner Rusty Gregory and Inyo National Forest Supervisor Ed Armenta individually in the past week, but there is still no concrete answer as to June Mountainâs fate.

The spectre of a shuttered June Mountain ski area has spurred the June Lake community, but Connie Black, owner of the Double Eagle Resort and Spaâand now a member of the newly formed âKeep June Mountain Open Coalitionââsaid itâs still too soon to conclude what will happen.

July 20, 2012

The annual White Mountain Research Station (now called White Mountain Research Center) Barcroft station open house held at the 12,500-feet high altitude research site on the flanks of White Mountain has been cancelled. However, the gate about two miles below the station will be open, cutting a few miles off the hike to the third highest peak in California, White Mountain peak, for that day (Mt. Whitney and Mt. Williamson are both higher).

July 20, 2012

Mono County now has a graffiti ordinance in the preliminary stages, after an incident near Crowley Lake sparked the areaâs county supervisor, Hap Hazard, to push for one.

The ordinance still has to pass through a second and third reading to become law. A few changes were made to an original ordinance proposed by county staff, mostly to protect property owners from too much liability and to protect minors that might be using or carrying a spray paint can for non-graffiti uses.

July 20, 2012

The final hurdles for the Digital 395 project have been nearly cleared, with one last appeal deadline and some last minute negotiations with Native American tribes still remaining, according to Michael Ort, the CEO for the private developer for the 563-mile long digital cable project that wills stretch from Mojave to Carson City.

âGroundbreaking on the Digital 395 project in Mono County is on schedule for the end of July, if I have to bring a pickaxe and start digging myself,â he said.

July 20, 2012

Mono County Mental Health will be hiring a bilingual case manager and a full-time psychiatric nurse in a move that mental health officials said will increase the amount of mental health care the county can provideâand save as much as $20,000 a year, beginning next year.